McKinney, TX (September 16, 2013) The Taylor Hooton Foundation (THF), widely acknowledged leader in the advocacy against appearance and performance enhancing substance abuse by the youth of North America, and Juice Free Athletics (JFA), a Florida based provider of athletic apparel designed to promote awareness and education about the dangers of using these illegal substances, commonly referred to as “juicing,” are continuing their 10 year partnership with a renewed focus on the state of Florida in response to recent revelations about the significant use by Florida youth.

“The news is troubling,” said Taylor Hooton Foundation president and founder Don Hooton, “but based on what we know and what we learned in a national study we did last year with the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS), it’s not the least bit surprising to us. Any state – or school – that doesn’t think this is going on isn’t dealing with reality.”

Pete Bain, President of Juice Free Athletics, agreed. “We’ve partnered with and supported the THF since our founding in 2004 because we know what a serious issue this is,” said Bain. “And the studies and research done by THF and a couple of major universities over this past year unfortunately confirms that the problem is getting worse, not better. That’s why when the recent news reports came out about Florida, we got together and decided to make a concerted effort to reach out to coaches, parents and administrators across the state to expand these education efforts.”

“Pete and his team have been fantastic supporters of ours for several years now,” said Hooton. “We just had our 10th Annual Give a Hoot Golf Tournament in Texas this past week, and Juice Free Athletics was once again a leading supporter and contributor. Through their on-going support, this tournament was our most successful ever and the funds raised will allow us to reach even more kids and parents with this critical message. We can’t thank them enough!”

Hooton and Bain strongly encourage schools and administrators to reach out to them if they’re not contacted by a THF rep first. “The University of Florida is bringing us in to talk to their coaches and players,” said Hooton. “They realize how important education is to stopping this trend. I would hope other universities and high schools would follow this lead and make the effort on behalf of their kids,” he continued.

The THF was formed in memory of Taylor E. Hooton, a 17-year old high school student athlete who took his own life as a result of using anabolic steroids. The THF is considered a national expert on this topic and is funded by sources including MLB, the NFL and the NHL.

For more information about the Taylor Hooton Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, and their in-school and online education programs, visit www.taylorhooton.org